Brand New Day
by Zabu-no-jutsu
Summary: Was that...? Was it? Could be... Yugi and Yami get another chance at love when Yami reappears in the modern world...but what's wrong with the Pharaoh? Pairings: What do YOU think?
1. immortal, eh?

A new story I've thunk up. Oh, yeah - WARNING! SPOILERS! WARNING! Just for good measure. If you already know what happens at the end of Yu-Gi-Oh!, then not to worry - I don't know much myself, so it's pretty vague. And I'm not recapping it, either.

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! does not belong to me. If it did, there would be a good deal less friendship speeches and a hell of a lot more kissing.

I wasn't sure whether to classify it as 'angst' or 'humor'. That seems kind of a wide difference, but the beginning _is_ angsty, and I _do_ like to make my stories funny. So - it says drama. I figured that was a nice mix of the two. Without further ado, enjoy:3

--

_…and if you have to leave_  
_I wish that you would just leave  
_'_cos your presence still lingers here  
__and it won't leave me alone.  
__These wounds won't seem to heal,  
__this pain is just too real,  
__there's just too much that time cannot erase…  
_Evanescence, 'My Immortal'

He was gone. Yes. _Everyone _knew that. No one so much as looked at _him_ nowadays. They'd see him looking at old dueling posters and think – 'Is that?! Nah, couldn't be. Must be a relative. His sister, maybe.'

His friends told him to forget. They saw his tearstained face and thought maybe they'd all have been happier if he'd never come. But Yugi was glad the Pharaoh had come. He had the memories – that was all that really mattered. At least, that's what he told everyone. That was the brave front he put on.

Yugi had tried to change his hair. It had broken every pair of scissors he'd taken to it, and dye just seemed to roll off. Needless to say, it was still just as ridiculously pointy and tri-coloured as ever. He'd also stopped wearing so many pointless belts. His other self had put them on him in the first place, after all. No, nothing left to show that the Pharaoh had _ever_ been there. The Puzzle had been buried under some useless old schoolwork in a bottom drawer somewhere.

All that were left were…memories. Their 'adventures', too numerous to count, had been, for the most part, terrifying. Yugi couldn't help but wonder – if he hadn't solved the Millennium Puzzle, would any of it have happened? Or would the world just be ruled/destroyed by millennias-old psychopathic spirits by now?

Remembering was painful. Each time he looked in the mirror, he was forcibly reminded of the one he'd lost. They looked so similar, but for the eyes. Their eyes had been as different as night and day; darkness and light. Yami'd had a bit of a stronger chin, too.

There was also a gaping, bleeding hole in Yugi's chest. His friends couldn't see the scars. Though they weren't entirely physical, they were still there. When the Pharaoh had left him to spend eternity with a bunch of dead people he barely remembered, it was like he'd driven a gilded dagger between his partner's ribs. And now, every time he thought of his other self, it was as though the Pharaoh, cold and impersonal, had dipped the dagger in acid and twisted it in he wound.

They'd had their good moments, yes. They'd saved their friends. Saved each other. Bonded more tightly than any two human souls were ever meant to have been bound…that was what he tried to keep hold of.


	2. it's a brand new day

Firstly, I'd like to say _thank you _to the people who reviewed part 1! There were only a few...but it makes me so happy! I guess I'm an easy girl to please. I just hope you guys don't hate me after this chapter ; (-maniacal laughter-)

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!. If I did; I think they'd have to put it on Adult Swim rather that Kids WB. (I don't own those either.)

Heh. 5 typed pages long! Really. I don't like how it plasters the writing all across the page. My eyes have trouble jumping from one side of the screen to the next. XP (Plus it seems so much shorter!!) Also, I highly recommend that you take a listen to the songs I start out the chapters with. Although it may just end with you deciding you don't like the types of music I do, I think it may help to set the mood. - Whatever the case, enjoy!

_--_

_One day you could be lookin' _  
_through an old book in rainy weather,  
__you see a picture of her smilin' at you  
__when you were still together – _

_You could be walkin' down the street!  
__When who should you chance to meet  
__but that same old smile  
__you been thinkin' of all day…  
__Sting, 'Brand New Day'_

Afternoon. School had been terrible; Yugi hadn't absorbed a word his teachers had said. _That settles it, _he thought to himself grimly. _No more late-night philosophy._

The sidewalk was caught up in a traffic jam of sorts; it was packed to the gills with people heading home from their various daytime activities. Yugi's small frame was bumped and jostled as he hurried along, head bowed and heart heavy.

He would never be quite sure what made him look up. Had it been a blessing, or a curse? Whatever the reason, look up he did – and he caught a glimpse of something he had thought he'd never see again.

A spark of ruby eyes.

His head snapped up, eyes instantly wide and searching wildly. There was only one soul he knew with eyes that color – "Pharaoh!" he cried, but got no answer. The eyes had been downcast; just as Yugi's had been just moments before; fringed by shocks of spiking blonde bangs. That was all he'd seen. He didn't know if he'd stopped, or turned; but suddenly he was fighting against the crowd, desperately trying to grasp the ever-elusive coattail of the one he'd known for so long. But he was long gone, leaving Yugi to wonder if he'd even been there at all.

Yugi just stood there for a moment longer, his mind frozen. The crowd parted round him like flowing water around a rock; the only solid object in a sea of insubstantiality.

--

Yugi finally arrived home just as the sun was beginning to slip behind he horizon. Chucking his backpack into the corner of his room, he locked the door and threw himself onto his bed. He ran his fingers up through his hair and held his head tightly, as though trying to keep it from falling apart. His face was mashed into the pillow as thoughts chased each other around inside his beleaguered brain.

Had it really been him? The way Yugi saw it; he had two choices. One: he could forget about the whole thing and say it had just been a trick of the light. He'd been dwelling on his yami for so long, it was very possible his brain had simply imagined it all in a desperate attempt to see him. Two: he could believe Yami had _actually been there_ and attempt to find him, with the high possibility of never finding him and breaking his heart again. Neither of these trains of thought were helping him much. He groaned, the sound muffled by the pillow his head was still squashed into. He rolled over, hoping some air would clear his brain and help him think. Unfortunately, the bed wasn't wide enough to allow the motion, and as such Yugi promptly fell off and hit the floor. Hard.

Winded and gasping for breath, he painstakingly picked himself up off the floor, rubbing his offended back and grimacing. His brainstorm thusly ended, he was reduced to futilely attempting to do his geometry homework. _Damn triangles,_ he thought, fiercely punching numbers into his calculator. _They can go jump off a cliff into a lake for all I care. Maybe __**then**__ they'll find their missing sides. Maybe…they need to be reunited, just like Yami and me. __**No, **_he scolded himself, roughly shunting that line of thought out of his head, _don't be like that._ But he _was_ a bit more sympathetic toward the triangles after that.

He even managed to finish his geometry before drifting off into a fitful sleep.

--

He was in a dark, shaded alley. Odd flashes of gold came from before, behind, above and beneath, even within him. He realized he wasn't entirely there; rather he was just an opaque spirit – but then, there were more important things to think about, weren't there? This was something he had to do. No question about it. He began traveling forward, barely blinking as the flashes came faster and angrier: deep purple, navy – the gold lights were few and far between. Then came a flash of red-and-gold, and the highlighted silhouette of a figure leaning casually against the wall. His crimson eyes flashed, and he was gone. Yugi's steps came faster; searching frenzied as he tried to catch the elusive shadow. He called a name, but the figure showed no sign of recognition. The figure continued to appear in different positions, nothing but a silhouette with red eyes shining out of its shadowed face, always just out of reach…

--

Yugi's alarm woke him up early. It was a good thing, too – he had the feeling his dream hadn't been very pleasant.

He fussed around putting together his schoolwork for longer than usual, when he finally had an idea. _The Puzzle! _If the Pharaoh was truly back, the Millennium Puzzle would surely have some kind of reaction. He sprinted down the stairs and scuffled around in all the drawers for that familiar glint of gold. He couldn't find it. He shoved more papers aside, wincing as a sharp edge cut into his index finger. Finally, he pulled the drawer completely out and dumped it all over the floor. Papers, brightly coloured and lined, spilled every which way – and then, there it was.

Grasping the familiar metal in both hands, he frowned at its coldness. It had always been slightly warm when the Pharaoh's soul had been in it, but when he'd left so had the warmth, replaced by an achingly empty, bitter cold.

He trotted back to his room, holding the Puzzle to the side; he was reluctant to get it too close to himself. He sucked a bright bead of blood from the paper cut on his finger. The cold was rather uncomfortable. He shut the door behind him, and then sat on the floor. Holding the Puzzle to his chest, he closed his eyes and concentrated hard. A cold, oppressive, silent darkness met his consciousness as it traversed the Puzzle, a far cry from the Labyrinth of old. At least the Labyrinth had had the familiar comfort of the Pharaoh's soul brooding within.

"Mmm…" he sighed, opening his eyes. No response from the Puzzle.

He set it on his desk and finished packing his backpack. He was almost out the door when – "Ah?" He looked back toward the Puzzle, still gleaming dully on his desk. He could have sworn he'd felt something…

"Hey, Yugi! You comin'? We'll be late!" That was Jonouchi's voice. The gang was still going strong; their friendship had barely been shaken when Yami had left. Yugi was grateful for that.

"Be right there, guys!" He put a cheerful note into his voice, and took a moment to compose himself. It wouldn't help him any to have his friends worry about him any more than they already did.

He hooked a smile onto his face as he closed the Game Shop door behind him. "Hi, guys! That geometry homework was hard, ne?"

"You're tellin' me," Jonouchi sighed. "I can never remember those stupid sin and cos things." He stuck his tongue out.

Anzu sighed, putting an exasperated hand on her forehead. "They're pronounced _sign and co-sign, _you idiot."

"Aww, how am I supposed to know? That's what it says on the calculator!"

"You really _are_ stupid sometimes. I know Kaiba calls you _bonkotsu,_ but – "

"Don't even_ start_ talking about _him_ – "

As the argument escalated (Honda was trying to mediate), Yugi was stuck with his own thoughts once again. He tried not to let himself think about the Pharaoh (really!), but it seemed that he was Yugi's default thought process. Was he back? Or not? If he was, why? Did they have another round of world saving to do? He hoped not, but he'd do whatever he had to if only his Pharaoh would come back. No matter how much he tried to put it behind him…

Before he knew it, a tear had snaked its way down his cheek. He hurriedly wiped it away as the argument wrapped itself up – they'd reached Domino High.

Anzu looked at Yugi out of the corner of her eye. She really did feel sorry for him; in spite of all her…more-than-friendly actions toward the Pharaoh. And she thought she'd just seen….

--

_Wow. This teacher sure can drone. I swear she's been talking about the __**exact same thing**__ for at least half an hour_, thought Yugi as his head dropped forward drowsily for the _n_th time. He rested his chin on a hand as he tried to concentrate. It was no use. The characteristics of rhombuses just weren't exciting enough to drive thoughts of yesterday from his head. _Did I really see him?_ That one question seemed to be the only thing his brain could process; yet it was incapable of coming up with an answer.

He yanked his brain back to the present and scribbled down something the teacher was saying about opposite angles. It was going to be a _long_ day.

--

Finally, school was over. Yugi ground his palm into his forehead as he finished packing up his backpack; long after everyone else had left. He'd sent the gang on their way on the pretense of having something to ask their teacher. Yugi wanted to have the walk home to himself; he needed more time to think. He'd sensed Anzu might have wanted to talk to him; he suspected she'd seen his tear that morning. He could just hear her chipper, _buck up! _sort of tone: _"Are you a boy, or not?"_ and he _so_ didn't need that right now.

Even their teacher had already left the room. So he stuck the last pencil behind his ear and headed out. Out in the hallway, he looked down to the left – and dropped his bag in shock.

Walking away from him, down the hallway, was a _very_ familiar figure. It was all there – the flying coattails, the backpack held on one shoulder, the proud stalk, and, obviously, the pointed, tri-coloured hair. He ran after him, pencil clattering onto the floor and tears springing unbidden to his eyes. "Pharaoh! _Pharaoh!"_ he cried, but the figure didn't seem to notice. A wrenching worry, as though from something forgotten tugged at him, and he sprinted faster. He almost thought he wouldn't catch him as he threatened to disappear at the end of the hall, but finally Yugi's hand connected with the warm fabric of his uniform.

"M-my Pharaoh!" he panted, gasping and clutching at a stitch in his side, "I-I thought…I thought…wh – what are you doing here?!"

The teen looked at him strangely. He plucked Yugi's hand off of his shoulder and let it go, where it fell back to Yugi's side as he tried to catch his breath. Yugi's eyes searched his face imploringly. The teen eyed Yugi and said coldly, "Do I know you?"


	3. he's taking over

I seem to be rather fond of using Evanescence to start off chapters. Well, it works for the whole...angstyness, so... I'll try and limit the emo to a minimun, ne?

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to neither me nor my inner fangirl. I shudder to think what would happen if _she_ got hold of it.

_--_

_You don't remember me, but I  
remember you…  
I lie awake and try so hard  
not to think of you  
but who can decide what they dream?  
And dream I do.  
I believe in you…  
I'll give up everything just to find you_  
_I have to be with you –  
__to live, to breathe –  
__you're taking over me…  
_Evanescence, 'Taking Over Me'

"Do I know you?" _Who is this boy? Why does he have the same hair as me? He could almost be my twin._

"Wha…? Ph-Pharaoh…?" The boy's eyes widened, sparkling with unshed tears. He seemed on the verge of collapse.

"I'm no Pharaoh," the teen said. "My name is Yami. Just Yami. I just transferred here; I've been touring the school today…what's your name?" Why did they look so similar? Yami was fairly certain he didn't have any siblings.

"Y-Yami, what are you talking about? It's me, Yugi!"

The boy was talking nonsense, and he still seemed rather winded. Maybe there was something wrong with him. _Heh,_ his mind supplied, _he __**does**__ look kinda girlish…_though he wasn't quite sure what that proved. _(A/N: I swear, I don't mean that girls are weak. I don't know where that thought came from -sweatdrop-)_

"Listen, Yugi-chan, I dunno who you think I am, but I'm pretty sure I'm not. Do you need any help? I don't know my way around very well, but I can probably walk you home…"

Yugi didn't seem to have heard him. He backed away slowly, keeping his wide eyes frozen on Yami. Yami cocked his head, wondering if there really _was_ something wrong with him. He reached out toward the shaking boy, moving closer and seeing now that he'd started crying. "Hey…are you all ri – "

"You – you can't! You _can't_ not remember – !" Yugi shrieked, then broke off, turned and _sprinted_ back down the hall. Halfway down, he scooped something up – his bag? – and then kept running, stumbling slightly. Yami ran after him for a few paces, but slowed and stopped quickly. He could still hear the shorter teen's hiccupping sobs echoing through the hallway. Yami felt bad. Usually, when you made someone cry, it was enough to make you feel terrible. But…he felt that somehow, this should not have happened.

He shook his head. He was being silly. Hitching his pack up farther on his shoulder, he headed out the door and for home.

"Hmmm…" he sighed. For some reason, the sight of that boy's eyes – those odd, amethyst eyes – filling with tears had weighted him with a terrible sadness. But a faraway sadness, detached, as though from another lifetime. Yami lifted a hand to his temple – he could feel a headache coming on.

--

Yugi slammed his bedroom door and flopped onto his bed for the second time in two days. But this time, the circumstances were quite different.

Hard as he tried to stop them, it was no use – the tears just kept flowing. His mind seemed frozen; it just kept repeating the same words: _He doesn't remember…he doesn't remember!_ He knew…at that moment, when his other self, the other half of his soul, had looked at him with such cold indifference…his heart had broken just a little bit more. There was that bitter dagger again, and the Pharaoh, _his_ Pharaoh's face, contorted into a malicious, furious expression – digging it deeper and deeper into his chest…he was drowning, drowning in a sea of hate, self-pity; his own blood and tears…

Yugi gasped and jerked his head upright. His pillow was soaked, and he was breathing hard. "Nnn…" he groaned, remembering his dream. It had been so real. He checked the clock. Three in the morning. He couldn't fall back to sleep like this; so he headed into the bathroom. He soaked a washcloth with warm water and mashed his face into it. _Ahh, _he thought. That _was_ nice. The warm washcloth wiped away the cold sweat and left him feeling refreshed, but rather sleepy. His eyelids drooped as he brought his face close to the mirror, scrutinizing it. His eyes were red-rimmed, more from lack of sleep than crying. Or so he told himself. He changed quickly but clumsily into his pajamas, then stumbled back into his bed. His pillow was still wet. _Too tired,_ he thought, and just flipped it over, flattening his face into it. _It'll probably mold now. Good for it. _

Then, as the mind always manages to do at the worst possible moments, Yugi had an idea. Dragging his face back out of the pillow, he sat up and glared blearily at the Puzzle. It gleamed back at him innocently. He grabbed it off his desk and instantly felt more awake for the cool touch of the metal. The Puzzle was also a means of communication between him and his yami, wasn't it? I was worth a shot. He sent his mind through the Puzzle to amplify his thoughts and then across the reaches of the city, searching for Yami's mind.

There it was! It felt so familiar that Yugi almost relaxed into its warm aura, but something; _something_ bit at the back of his mind. It was different. Subtly so, but very recognizable to one who knew it so well. _It must just be that his memory's gone. Must be._ He concentrated for a moment, then poured all his strength into one mental shout: _/Yami! PHARAOH!/_

--

Yami's eyes flew open as he sat bolt upright. He then immediately closed them, cradling his head in both hands as another sharp bolt of pain crackled through his skull. _Damn headache._ He'd had it since he'd talked to that Yugi kid that afternoon. _Or rather,_ he thought, looking at the clock (which read 3:34 a.m.), _yesterday afternoon._ He'd just gotten it under control enough to fall asleep at midnight. He groaned. Great. Just peachy. His first day in a new school; and he'd be spending it trying not to fall asleep.

Getting up, still clutching at his aching head, he wandered around in the dark until he whacked into something. Stupid door. He fumbled for the doorknob, found it, opened said door and nearly fell into the bathroom across the hall. Cursing the fact that he hadn't memorized where the light switches in his new apartment were yet, he took a couple of aspirin and stumbled back into bed.

It didn't matter if the headache was Yugi's fault or not. He found he just couldn't get mad at the boy.

--

Yugi awoke with a sharp pain in his chest. He'd fallen asleep on top of the Millennium Puzzle. _Ow. Ow. Owowowow - !_ He grimaced and hissed sharply as he sat up, gingerly unsticking a point from his chest. He set his finger to the spot, feeling around for a wound, and felt blood. Chucking the Puzzle across the room (where it dented the wall and fell with a dull _clunk_ onto the floor), he ran to the bathroom and tore off his shirt – thankfully, the Puzzle had been stuck to his chest all night and the wound had half-closed around it. However, when he'd taken it out, he'd disturbed the clot – and it was, therefore, now bleeding profusely. He also had a rather oddly shaped puncture wound on the left side of his chest.

Quickly, he soaked the same washcloth from the night before and started trying to clean himself off. Seeing that it wasn't going to work very well, given the size of the wound, he simply took a roll of gauze and stuck a few short strips over the cut. _And one of those huge two-by-three-inch bandages to top it off,_ he thought finally, sticking it on top and admiring his handiwork. _Not very pretty,_ he admitted, staring at the monstrosity, _but at least it's functional._

That crisis averted, Yugi drooped. The adrenaline rush from waking up to a bleeding wound had faded, leaving him strangely drained. He rubbed both eyes with his palms, then yawned and stretched languorously, moving into his room to get ready for school.

Once he had taken a shower, gotten dressed, eaten breakfast, and headed out the front door without further serious injury, an odd thought struck him. Yami'd said he'd just transferred here…did that mean he was going to go to Yugi's school? There was only one class for 11th graders; and that was the one Yugi and the gang all attended. In his deep thought, Yugi started chewing on a finger. He couldn't just let Yami appear in class, his friends would go ballistic. There was nothing else for it; he'd have to tell them before they got there.

When they were all on time; the gang met up on a street corner not far from the Game Shop. Otherwise, all present members would go and check up on whichever member was late. Today, thankfully, everyone was waiting for him as he walked up.

"Guys!" Every head turned to look at him; there must have been an odd note in his voice. "Guys…" he trailed off awkwardly, unsure how to break the news. What if they didn't believe him…?

"What's up, Yugi?" Jou was the first to break the silence. He looked at Yugi expectantly, brown eyes hard.

"Guys…" _They'll never believe it! _his brain shouted at him, panicking. He marshaled his thoughts. There was only one way to know for sure. "All right. You'll never believe this, but…I saw the Pharaoh yesterday after school."

At the word _'Pharaoh,'_ every face had registered a complete look of shock. "Whaddya mean, Yugi?!" Jou was incredulous, but he trusted his short friend implicitly.

"After school, in the halls. After…after I finished talking to the teacher, I went out of the classroom, and he was walking down the hall away from me! I ran after him, but when I caught up…when-when I caught up…" he choked, unable to continue.

"What? What happened?!"

"Hello, everyone! What's all the ruckus?" Ryou's smiling face had appeared from around the corner. He caught the serious vibe of the situation, and the smile disappeared. "What's wrong, Yugi?" he asked, again showing his knack for sensing where things weren't going right.

"The Pharaoh's back," Jonouchi told him.

Ryou blanched, though it didn't show much on his already pale complexion. _If one spirit was back, did that mean all of them would be?_ But he couldn't see how the _Pharaoh_ being back would be such cause for alarm.

Yugi gulped, holding back tears. Looking up into the worried faces of his friends, though; he knew he had to continue. He couldn't leave them hanging like that. "Wh-when I caught up…he didn't recognize me. I called him Pharaoh like always, but he told me…he told me he was no Pharaoh, and said he was just Yami! He…he doesn't remember me at all!" He sniffed and shook, turning away and burying his face in his hands. It was futile now, but he didn't want them to see his tears.

A group hug commenced. The gang couldn't bear to see Yugi like that. Ryou didn't take part; he'd never really felt like a part of the group. He stood and gazed at them, trying to project comfort to them. It was all he could do.

When they finally broke apart; Yugi had decided something. "Guys…" he announced, looking at each of them in turn with fire in his eyes, "I'd like you to not interfere. I feel like…Yami _will_ remember, but I think I'm the one who needs to help him. Besides that, if we try to actually tell him what's happened, I think he'll feel swamped and just reject us more." A tear shone on Yugi's cheek; then it was gone. "Can you do that, guys?"

"O-of course, Yugi," Anzu said, putting an arm around his shoulder _(A/N: Inner fangirl: GETCHER GRUBBY PAWS OFF 'IM!! AAARRGH! Mishka: Heel! -.-U)_.

"Yeah, no problem," Jou affirmed, "we won't say a word." And they finally headed off to school.

All except for Ryou. He stood on the street corner, eyes unfocused and staring off into the distance. He was frozen, his expression holding an unimaginable fear; a cold, unmovable, indelible horror, as a voice he'd hoped he was rid of forever echoed in his mind:

_//Hello again…landlord…//_

--

Um...I hope I don't get killed for maiming Yugi like that. I mean, he wears the stupid Puzzle to _bed;_ I've always wondered what would happen if he rolled over on it or something oO;;


	4. shivers

Chapter four is finally finished! (Maybe it was only 'finally' for me, though...) School really puts a drag in things, doesn't it? -sigh- But it's here! And 7 pages long! This one was terrible to organize...I kept thinking up new things all out of order. I write as I go. Anyway, there's a LOT of Japanese in this one, so I'd better explain it!

In Japanese schools, teachers rotate classrooms, rather than kids. The kids stay in the same room all day ( I wish they did that here) and anyway, I'll give you the abbreviated version: teachers command a lot of respect. When they come in, the kids have a bit of a ritual. One kid will lead the rest, and they all do it together.

Japanese words used...  
_kiritsu:_ stand up  
_kiotsuke: _attention  
_rei: _bow  
_onegai shimasu: _basically translates to 'please teach us'  
_chaku seki: _sit down  
_ohayo, ohayo gozaimasu: '_good morning', the second is a more polite form  
_hajimemashite, watashi wa , desu:_ nice to meet you, I am . (greeting)  
_ne: '_, yes?'  
_un: _yes, affirmative  
_yami, hikari: _dark, light (used extremely often to describe the Millennium bearers' and spirits' relationship)  
_arigato:_ thank you  
...just because I can.

And...if I'm _wrong_ about anything, please TELL me. I abhor being wrong, and would wish to fix any mistakes as quickly as possible. Domo!

Disclaimer: Saying Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to me is like saying that Band Day WASN'T yesterday, and that I was sitting on my can the entire time rather than busting it traipsing around town asking for money in my snazzy marching band uniform. _Ow...my calves..._

_--_

_Memories  
Emotions that we share  
Teardrops  
Signing my face_

_How could it end this way  
Don't leave me, love me  
Just a little bit longer  
_Armin van Buren, 'Shivers'

It was shortly before school and their teacher hadn't arrived yet. The class chattered amiably, all but Yugi and the gang. They sat tensely, barely saying a word. Yugi had returned to his old nervous habit of biting his fingers, when suddenly the class quieted. A roomful of students has an uncanny knack for knowing just when a teacher is coming past.

Ms. Chono entered, smiling as usual. She was a slightly dumpy, but kindly blonde woman in her early 30s.

A girl in the front of class stood. "Kiritsu!" she called. The rest of class got to their feet. "Kiotsuke," the girl ordered, and they all stood to attention. "Rei." They bowed as one and a chorus of "Onegai shimasu" filled the room. The girl finished with, "Chaku seki," and they all sat back down, now fully focused on their teacher.

"Ohayo, class," Ms. Chono said warmly. A few halfhearted "ohayo gozaimasu" were issued by the students. She bustled to her desk and set down a few papers.

_Get to it, already!_ Yugi's nerves were frayed. And his finger hurt.

"I hope you all finished your homework last night."

_Agh!_

"Ah, yes. Today, we have a new student."

_Finally!_

She ambled to the door and opened it, admitting what almost seemed to be Yugi's twin. A few of the students exchanged glances, and whispers flew about the room. _Yami looks fantastic in the school uniform._

He walked to the front of the room, eliciting excited murmurs from a few female voices. "Hajimemashite," he began, ignoring further girlish giggles at his manly-masculine voice. "Watashi wa Yami, desu."

Ms. Chono chalked his name up on the board. "No family name…?" she asked, incredulous. Yami shook his head, a flash of his eyes discouraging further questioning. She shrugged and faced the class once more. "He's just transferred here. I hope you will all be polite and friendly to him, and perhaps you'll even make some friends today, ne Yami? You may take a seat now…ah, the seat next to Yugi-kun is open."

Yami came and sat in the desk next to him. Seeing Yami's face up close, Yugi thought Yami looked as sleep deprived as _he_ felt. Slight shadows had appeared under his crimson eyes, and he seemed to be having trouble keeping them open. Yami looked over at him. "Ohayo, Yugi-chan," he said quietly, shooting a glance at their teacher. She was busy lecturing them on something-or-other.

Yugi's head jerked, he hadn't realized he'd been staring. "O-ohayo." A slight blush crept to his features, and he looked away quickly, searching for something else to look at. A thought struck him. Where was Ryou? He couldn't see his familiar white mop of hair anywhere. That was worrying; Yugi couldn't think of a reason why he hadn't followed them to school. Maybe Ryou had remembered something he'd left at home, or maybe he had some kind of appointment. That had to be it.

He stared off into space for another minute, shooting furtive glances at Yami. Then, seeing the teen's alert gaze, he remembered that a good target for his attention just _might_ be Ms. Chono. After all, he was at school. He rubbed his eyes hard, trying to dislodge the daze he'd fallen into, and finally focused on her lecture.

--

The darkness was back. He could feel it, curling its cursed, tainted tendrils around his body, his mind; his very soul. It hurt. It was terrifying. But it was all too familiar. After the first contact, Bakura had said nothing more. His voice had been weak, as though from a long way off, but Ryou could feel it getting closer with every breath; every beat of his corrupting heart, as the darkness filled him. He stumbled through dark back alleyways in a desperate bid to barricade himself in his home before Bakura got too close. He tripped, fell, and in the same movement got up, now leaning on the wall for support.

"You're so melodramatic."

The rough voice sneered, a twinge of amusement coloring its tone. Ryou felt a hand clench on his collar. Flashes of spiking white and bloody crimson shone over an upturned collar. His mind froze, and he knew no more.

--

"All right, lunch. Now remember, I want that chapter read before tomorrow. That's _before_ tomorrow; remember that, I don't want any on you trying to finish while I'm lecturing! That means _you_, Jonouchi…" Mr. Dade's slumber-inducing voice faded away as the class filed sleepily out, trying to get away before they got too comatose to get to lunch.

Yugi and the gang chose a table inside; a light rain had started and no one wanted to be caught outside in it. Yami had joined them. "Hey! Don't you try to get away," Jonouchi had said jovially, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him along to sit with them. He looked vaguely uncomfortable.

"Oh – un, Yami – this is the gang," Yugi started, noting the confusion in Yami's eyes with a twinge. "Why don't you introduce yourselves, guys?"

"Wha? Don't you re – _uff_," Jonouchi's breath let out in a _whoosh_ as a well-timed elbow (Anzu's) dug into his stomach at the slip. He rubbed the offended flesh hurt-ly as he admonished, "Uhh – I'm Jonouchi. Jou to my friends."

"Anzu, nice to meet you," said the girl with a wink.

"And I'm Honda!" the last added brightly.

"Ryou should be here…but I don't know where he went," Yugi said apologetically. "I'm sure you'll meet him tomorrow."

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Yami, as I'm sure you know – " _only all too well, _Yugi's mind affirmed " – and I am very happy to meet you." He smiled lightly; just a trace a trace of his earlier discomfort still showing.

_Ah well…it'll fade in time._

--

A few days passed. Yugi and his friends seemed _very_ nice…and he was getting to know them well. He'd always been a good judge of character. Anzu was likeable enough, if a bit too bright, forward; desperate to protect people around her, herself…and also something he didn't quite know the word for. It went with selfish, and egotistical…but she wasn't quite those. He'd figure it out eventually.

Honda was pretty generic. The typical friend: supportive, but not afraid to insult you if you needed it.

Jonouchi…Jou was a breed all his own. He was bright, but dim at the same time. A tough-talking gangster, a street fighter, but with a soft spot for his friends. He had a mind for strategy, but his rash nature left him wide open at times. Frankly put, he was a mutt – a person of many breeds, but a loveable one.

And then there was Yugi. Yugi-chan was an enigma. He was the kindest, sweetest person Yami had ever met; he never failed with a reassurance or word of assistance, gratitude, or just plain friendliness. The boy whose eyes lit with happiness upon seeing him…but always there was that tint of regret, hiding behind the translucent joy. He was the one who'd first befriended him when he was trying to get his bearings in an unfamiliar place, and had opened the door to new friendships; the one who had greeted him like an old friend long gone. Was it because of their visual similarities, or was that just his nature…? It was impossible to tell, even for Yami's keenly assessing eyes. There was also the mystery of the thinly veiled longing in those strangely purple eyes…

--

Ryou awoke with a start. He was, evidently, lying on his back on the couch in his own living room. He relaxed completely into the cushions, closing his eyes. He'd thought for sure he was done for…maybe it had all been a dream? Judging by the sunlight streaming in through his window, though, he'd have to make up some excuse for missing school.

"Idiot."

Ryou bolted upright at the word. Though it wasn't just the word, it was the voice as well; his eyes widened and he'd locked on to the origination of the voice within seconds.

"You _never_ relax until you've fully checked the room. And even then, under such odd circumstances, you don't let your guard down."

There he was, the haunter of Ryou's mind, slouching casually against the doorframe. Ryou went rigid in terror. _His_ mind, _his_ spirit, so close to Ryou's once more terrified him. Some rational portion of his brain rattled off negatives: _he's here he's got a body he looks mad he remembers me he could hurt me why aren't I running away our minds are still connected – _

But the Thief King flopped onto the couch next to him. "I didn't expect you to _faint_, you know," he scowled, uttering the word like some foul disease.

The rational bit of Ryou's mind somehow connected itself to his mouth. "Why are you back how did you get here?" he babbled, voice an octave too high.

"I'm not really sure," the Tomb Robber sighed. "All right; actually, I do know. But I also know _you_ too well to say. You'll scamper off to Yugi and company and spout it all off; and I am _so_ enjoying all the drama." He leaned back and set his arms loosely behind his head, grinning. "So," he stuck Ryou to the couch with his piercing red stare. "I will be staying with you for as long as I need to. Is that clear?"

Ryou could only nod mutely.

"Very good, that was the correct answer. Ah, yes – I'll also be tagging along with you to school. Can't miss any of the action, now, can I?" He chuckled darkly, then stood with a flounce. "Right," he yawned, "I'm off to bed."

Ryou found his voice. "But yami, it's only – "

"But, _hikari,_" Bakura growled, stressing the word distastefully, "_I_ had to carry you home in the rain. And you're not exactly petite, however feminine your looks are." He paused, considering. "That was _three days ago. _I've been awake ever since." And with that, he stalked out of the room.

Then his pale-spiked head presented itself from around the corner again. "Ah yes," he smirked, "I believe that dancer friend of yours spotted us together that day – albeit from a distance. I daresay you'll be getting some interesting questions at school tomorrow." He removed himself from the room, hair flicking behind him. Ryou could hear him snickering all down the hallway.

Ryou groaned, hiding his face in his hands. Then a thought struck him: Why had Bakura been up since he'd brought him home? His gaze fell to the armchair nearest the couch. It looked sat-in; the blanket usually resting over the top had slipped down onto the seat. _Looking after me…?_

--

"Mmmph." Yugi stretched his arms above his head, grimacing. "That test _sucked._ It went so far overtime! They shouldn't be allowed to keep us after school like that. I stayed up too late studying, and now I'm bushed."

Yami nodded his agreement, and then both boys yawned – in exact unison.

Anzu stifled a smile; they hadn't seemed to have noticed. "I've got to take off – dance class," she said apologetically. "Bye, everyone."

"I oughta be going, too," Jou agreed. "Promised Shizuka I'd be home straight after school."

"Hey Jou, can I tag along?" Honda asked, feigning innocence.

Jou glared a warning, but grudgingly agreed, and they all left to their various activities.

That left Yugi and Yami.

They stepped outside, and their small frames were nearly blown off their feet. The light rain that had steadily built up all week had graduated into a full-blown storm – complete with high-power winds and pelting, freezing-cold rain.

Yugi clutched at his own arms, already shivering. They both retreated back inside. "Crap, I forgot my umbrella…not that it'd help much with this wind." Yugi checked a clock on the wall and sighed resignedly. "And with the test and all, I've missed the bus! Another one doesn't come for hours."

Yami thought for a moment. "Why don't you come home with me? My apartment isn't far from here – I walk to and from school every day. We'll still get wet, but…I don't think this rain's going to stop anytime soon."

"But…Yami, I can't possibly intrude on your hospitality – " the shorter one began, blushing.

"Yugiiii, you won't be intruding. _I'm offering._ It would be a discourtesy to me not to accept," Yami cajoled, grinning.

Yugi sighed. After a moment, he gave in and bowed his head. "…un." _I get to see his house…_

--

Yugi and Yami arrived at Yami's apartment disheveled and soaked through, but grinning hugely. They'd spent most of the journey laughing at other peoples' (and their own) windblown hair – and everything else worthy of ridicule in the storm, and it had left them in marvelous good spirits.

They collapsed against each other on the couch, half-delirious and not even bothering to stifle fits of giggles. They stayed like that for some time, gradually calming down until they remembered what they were there for. Yami started.

"Where are my manners?" he smiled, "I'll play host now," and he trotted off.

He came back moments later with a towel for Yugi, already vigorously toweling off his own hair. "Ah…how about some tea? I haven't got any actual _leaves_, but…"

"Tea sounds great!" Yugi grinned and followed Yami into the kitchen.

He watched, twisting water out of his bangs, as his host made the tea, deftly flicking the teabags into boiling water. The mugs were pretty, Yugi thought: jade-green patterned on a flecked cream background.

Yami carried the mugs back into the living room as Yugi draped his towel around his neck. Yugi sat back on the couch and took a mug in his hands, holding it close and breathing in the steam.

"Mmm…" he sighed, closing his eyes. "It's nice and warm."

Yami smiled to himself. _He's so sweet. Like an angel._ He took in his friend's serene features and thought again how girlish he was. His slight, pointed chin. His long, dark eyelashes; his cheekbones…his softly curving lips. He wondered briefly what it would be like to kiss – then instantly berated himself. He didn't swing that way.

Oblivious to Yami's dangerous thought process, Yugi started to take a sip of his tea.

And immediately dropped it, eyes snapping open and bright with pain. The cup bounced against his thigh before clattering to the floor, splattering tea across his chest and lap. "Ah! Cat's tongue," he choked, a hand flying to his throat.

Then Yami was by his side, flitting about mopping at Yugi's shirtfront with his own towel. "Nn…Y-Yami, it's fine – I was wet anyway." Yugi brought his towel to his lap and dried his hands with it. "Thank you, though."

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes. I'm fine; arigato, Yami." Yugi smiled.

"Ah – you've got some on your face there." Yugi made to wipe it off, but Yami knocked his hand away and, ever-so-softly, kissed the tea away. His lips barely touched Yugi's flushed cheek, but an electric sensation shot through both teens as they connected.

Yami receded slowly, dazedly. His crimson eyes were veiled over and something, _something_ was working away behind the haze. Then, just as suddenly, he snapped back to himself. His eyes widened in shock, he said hurriedly, "Be right back," and he carefully exited the room.

--

The world was a fluffy blur. Or maybe it was just his eyes. One second he'd been covered in tea, the next…it just hadn't mattered any more. He wasn't _exactly_ sure what had happened, but it had been wonderful. Despite his fuzzy brain, he had no doubt about that. He lifted a hand to his cheek, smiling blankly. _Mmm._

_--_

Will Yami and Yugi's relationship progress further? Or was that just a fluke? And honestly, Yami, keep your hormones to yourself! Why was Ryou asleep for three days? What will his friends say when he comes back, with the tomb robber in tow, no less? Find out in _Brand New Day,_ chapter five!

...I've been watching too much anime, can you tell?


	5. losing control?

Hello again, all! Part 5, up probably earlier than it would have been if I hadn't let my little sister start reading this. Sister pressurrreee! It's her main weapon. That and being horribly, annoyingly cute. (Luv ya, imoto-chaaaan!)

Limey-fluff-ness warning! Oh my gasp! Readers beware!

Disclaimer: Saying I own Yu-Gi-Oh! is like saying that I haven't got a graphic lime moment planned for Ry-chan and 'Kura next chapter...(but don't get your hopes up).

Japanese translations:  
_jaa ne - _see ya  
_ahou - _fool

_--_

_You don't remember my name; I don't really care…_  
_Can we play the game your way?  
__Can I really lose control?  
__Evanescence, 'Lose Control'_

Laughter.

Haughty, uncaring laughter.

Darkened, sinful eyes – twisting in merriment.

One set…worried. Empathic.

_We really shouldn't be doing this._

Staring. Open confusion. _It is for the good of us all. It is meant to be._

A hateful glare. _This mustn't be forced._

Rapid footsteps, a feathery _swoosh;_ then complete silence.

…the gods look back to their game.

Laughter.

--

Why did I do that? Oh, god. Oh god oh god oh god – 

Yami beat his head against the bathroom mirror, teeth clenched. He repeated his mantra as though it had the power to erase the last five minutes of his life. _Oh god, oh god, oh god. Kami-sama, Allah, divine Ra…_

_/Yami?/ _That was Yugi's voice. He must be right outside the door. _Ohgodohgodohgod/I should be getting home now. The rain's letting up, and another bus will be here soon. Thank you for inviting me over./_

"Jaa ne, Yugi." Yami had to fight hard to speak without his voice shaking. It was obviously trying to sabotage him.

Yami heard the front door open and close. _/Jaa ne!/_

…_how did he do that? I heard him clear as day…but he was already out the door._ The window was open. _Maybe that's it. Though I'd never have given __**Yugi**__ credit for being loud._

_And what was that all about? He didn't mention…that I kissed him. Maybe he didn't mind? Or…maybe he just needs some time to think about it. That must be it. _Yami nodded decisively. Then he realized something. _Wait…__**I **__**mind! **_And promptly went back to worrying.

--

Yugi sat cross-legged on his bed that evening, puzzling over the events of the afternoon. He'd been in a fog from right after the tea incident until he'd stepped off the bus into the freezing rain. What could have done that? Had Yami spiked the tea? Somehow he doubted that. He concentrated hard, trying to cut into the haze…and caught obscure flashes of memory. A burning in his throat, a white blur pressing against his front, a warm presence directly beside him…then the electric sensation of flesh on flesh; hand-to-hand and mouth-to-cheek. He jolted, eyes flashing open. _Yami kissed me…_

--

Ryou was awakened by a pillow hitting him on the head. He immediately opened his eyes and searched for the source of the offense – Bakura stood in the doorway, heavily shadowed. Ryou shrank back. He supposed he should be grateful he hadn't been hit with something far heavier. And pointier. And…well, more overall dangerous. Bakura beckoned, then slid out of sight.

It was rather dark. Ryou supposed that was because the curtains were drawn; he was certain he'd been asleep for a while. A flash of white disappeared into a doorway, a ways down the hall from Ryou's bedroom. Wait…hadn't he fallen asleep on the couch last night? He'd assumed Bakura had taken his room, it being the largest.

Ryou knew better than to incite his yami's displeasure, so he followed him into the guest room, whereupon he was immediately pounced upon and pinned to the floor.

"Wh-what…why…?"

"Listen, you." Bakura's body pressed Ryou's to the ground, and his warm breath flitted across flushing cheeks. Ryou couldn't move, for a combination of reasons. "You'll be going to school today. And I'll be accompanying you. But, _obviously_, I cannot be seen." Ryou was unable to comment on the fact that he hadn't thought of that. He was too busy trying to avoid being hacked to pieces by that piercing stare. "So, I have a way to accomplish this." He gave Ryou a calculating glare. "I need to get back inside of you."

Ryou fainted.

Bakura sighed and got off of the prostrate boy. He stared for a moment at the creased brow; the slightly downturned lips…then went off to the kitchen to get some ice water.

Ryou thusly awakened, sopping wet and shivering, Bakura went back to his original intent. "Listen to me, idiot. You need to be stronger if I'm to do what I need to do. You can't go around _fainting __**every time I say something to you!**_" Fury marred his features, and he lunged toward Ryou. He grasped him roughly by the shoulders and set his forehead to Ryou's rather harder than was necessary. The dark tang of Bakura's magic tainted the air around the two; his eyes shone, intense with concentration – the light slowly fading as the magic took its toll; and then…his empty shell slumped into Ryou's lap.

Ryou just sat there. It had happened so fast he hadn't even had time to faint. And he was back…back where he'd always been. The darkness weighed heavily on the back of his mind, and all he could do was slump back against the bed, in the guest room…in his own house, in Domino City, Japan…with voices in his head and soulless bodies draped across his legs.

_/You can't just leave my body there. Pick it up and put it on the bed, ahou./_

Ryou shivered, but did as he was told. He wrapped his arms around Bakura's torso, lifting him up with some difficulty and laying him clumsily on top of the duvet. His hair was soft, and his scent – a mixture of earth and spice – wafted from the snowy mane. The body was warm.

The voice told him what to do. He did it. _Just like always._

--

"Yami…is that a bruise on your forehead? What – "

"It's nothing," he said hurriedly, smoothing his bangs over the worst of it. He and Yugi had gotten to the corner early, and were waiting for the rest of the crew to arrive.

Yami had almost torn all his hair out. But then he had decided it was too pretty for that, and had gone back to beating his forehead against the wall with no regard for his equally pretty face.

The taller teen stood stiffly, a nervous sweat trailing its way down his neck. Tension ate away at his insides.

The shorter looked nervous as well, his eyes flicked side-to-side and he was biting his finger again. Then he gasped.

Yami looked up. A white-haired boy was walking swiftly down the sidewalk toward them, head bowed and eyes hidden by his bangs.

"Ryou! You're here! What happened to you?"

The boy, Ryou, looked up. His haunted, hunted eyes shone dully. His faltering smile didn't reach them. "F-fine, thanks," he said, not even bothering to sound cheerful – and he hurried past.

"Ryou! Wait…" But the boy had disappeared; he had rounded a corner down the street toward school. "Y-you didn't…answer my question…"

He turned to Yami. "That was Ryou. He's not usually like that; he's really nice most of the time. I don't know what's happened; he hasn't been like that since…" Yugi lowered his head, deep in thought and biting his thumbnail.

_Yugi…why won't you talk about it…? If you say it…maybe I'll feel it, too._

Yugi looked up sharply. "D-did you say something, Yami?"

There was nothing else for it. "Yugi…Y-Yugi, you remember what happened yesterday…don't you?"

--

Thorns pressed into his hands and arms, legs and chest as he ever-so-slightly parted the branches. A single brown eye gleamed from within the bush as Bakura made use of it – spying on the stuttering teens just across the street.

_/Look at them squirm!/_ Bakura cackled gleefully.

"Yugi…I'm sorry about what happened."

Yugi was silent for a moment. Then he spoke so softly that the (two?) eavesdropper(s) had to strain to hear him. "…I'm sorry, too."

_/Get closer!/_

Ryou leaned forward, careful not to make any noise or to let any branches break. You could almost _taste_ the tension in the air –

"Hey! Yugi and Yami! Sorry we're late, we – "

The rest of the group came running up, and Anzu cut in. "This dumb dog had to go chasing a squirrel – "

"Only because it stole my donut!"

"You left it sitting around! OUTSIDE!"

"I woulda caught the damn thing, too – "

"And then what? Eaten a squirrel-bitten donut?!"

"Of course! A little dirt wouldn't 'ave hurt me – "

"How about a little _rabies?!_ Baka!"

The squabble continued as the gang moved off toward school. Bakura Ryou followed. The moment had passed.

--

An electronic bleeping. A swirl of magic.

_What news…servant?_

A flash of danger, a barely concealed growl at the title. _Nothing yet…my lords._

_Go. This must not fail. She must not interfere!_

_As you wish, my masters._

--

This world was dangerous.

She had to be ever cautious; she could never be sure who had the second-sight and who didn't.

The gods were powerful.

She wasn't sure if she could do it.

But whatever the cost, this had to be done.

--

"No – no…ah! No, I gave you all the money I have…leave me alone – " Yugi gasped as the upperclassman knocked him down.

"You're lucky…you're so cute, I just might have taken you home with me…if only you hadn't had such horrible injuries." The bully chuckled stupidly, loud, deep voice carrying farther than he probably would have liked. If he was smart enough to think about things like that, that is.

The man aimed one last kick at Yugi's form, lying on the ground. It struck hard, almost immediately bruising his ribs. Yugi coughed, gasping painedly. _Why is this happening again? No bullies have bothered me since… _He closed his eyes hard. _/Yami…help me…/_

The man turned to walk away, still laughing, pockets jangling with all of Yugi's loose yen.

Then a flash of red-and-black flashed by, shouting – "WHAT DID YOU DO?! TURN AND FACE ME, YOU COWARD!!!"

The bully looked back over his shoulder, then turned fully around. "Oh, what have we here – another midget? That your sister, tiny-man?" The bully was not very bright with insults. "What're you gonna do, cotton-fluff?"

Yami's eyes blazed pure fury, and the bully took a step back, color draining from his face. "Hey…no need to get edgy…" he started, but Yami flew toward him. His fist landed _hard_, harder than he'd known he could hit – and the man was knocked over backward. He scrabbled to his feet, then sprinted off – not even daring to look back at the bloody-eyed demon with the strength of ten men.

"Yugi…Yugi, are you all right?" Yami's hands were on his shoulders, then his arms – searching for wounds and broken bones.

Blood dripped onto Yugi's cheek; mingling with his own from the wounds the bully had given him. He coughed, opened his eyes. "Yami…you're bleeding."

Yami lifted his hand, touching his roughed-up knuckles. "Not as badly as you. Should we go to the nurse?"

The courtyard in back of the school was empty; school had been over for some thirty minutes already. "N-no, she'll have left already. I'm fine." Yugi sat up gingerly.

"Are you sure? He hit you pretty hard…" He stood, then held out a hand to Yugi.

"Not as hard as you hit him," Yugi shot back with a smile, and took the proffered hand. He lost his balance on the way up; stumbled – Yami moved to catch him – and he ended up leaning on the taller's chest. He looked up into Yami's bewildered crimson eyes, blushing slightly.

_And adorably,_ the obligatory tiny voice in Yami's head sighed. _You know what you want to do._

He knew. He folded his arms around Yugi's small form, hands tenderly sliding their way up to hook on opposite sides of his midriff. Yugi winced, and Yami backed off – he must have hit one of Yugi's bruises. He gently trailed a finger around the edge of the spot, eliciting a shiver from the young teen in his arms. He bent his head down, as Yugi's lifted – his amethyst eyes were tired, dull, but locked on to his own. Their lips were so close. He felt Yugi's balmy breath on his chin, and he could stand it no longer. Yami closed the distance between their mouths.

Yugi brought his own hands up, shakily, to rest on Yami's back as he leaned into the kiss, eyes fluttering shut. He made a small noise of contentment; this was a million times better than he'd _ever_ imagined a kiss to be. Yami's body pressed close to his own; it was hot, and the other's heartbeat was racing. He felt Yami's tongue running across his lower lip, pleading him to open it just slightly, to let him in, then –

A flash of wings. A rush of sound. A lifting veil.

Yugi came back to himself. He pushed the taller teen away, eyes looking haunted. He backed away, hitting the wall of the school behind him, and whispered – "I'm sorry…"

Then he hurried away, limping as swiftly as he could.

Yami watched him go. He leaned back against the rough brick of the wall, clutching his own arms loosely. Yugi was out of sight when he finally realized he should be going after him.

"H-hey! Yugi, wait!"

--

Reviews make the world go 'round. And make the updates come faster. And make me not beat up Yugi. :D


	6. ghosts

Warning: After some debate, I did finally decide to include the RxB lime. Cough. If you don't like that kind of thing, feel free to skip it - nothing _much_ happens. I do have it labelled.

So now, without further ado - chapter 6! -Monty Python-esque cheering- If you're wondering why it took so long, I have two words for you: High School. But Im actually rather proud of this one - lots of stuff happens! Oh: Sorry about the grammar issues with the mind-speak. FF's servers don't sem to like the '/'es.

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! does not belong to me. If it did, all scenes with Ryou and Bakura would need to be censored.

_--_

_Should it burn to love you…_  
_should I feel like I do –  
__should I lock the last open door?  
__My ghosts are gaining on me…  
_Evanescence, 'All That I'm Living For'

"Yugi!"

Yami's deep, almost-baritone voice echoed strangely down the deserted streets. A light, misty rain had started as Yugi made his way home, favoring his right leg – he was almost certain he'd turned his ankle. He went as quickly as possible; he didn't want Yami to catch up. He needed time to think about this.

But Yami had longer legs than him – and uninjured ones, at that. Yugi could _hear_ his footsteps getting closer. He tried to pick up his own pace, but the pain was too much, and he slowed back down before long, panting hard. But by then, the Game Shop was just in sight! He only had to go a few more steps, and he was free…free to retreat within his own mind and think everything through.

"Yugi!" He struggled with his keys, and just managed to insert one, when a warm hand touched his shoulder. "Yugi, what's wrong…?"

Yugi shrugged the hand off, then turned around and stood in the doorway, facing Yami squarely in the eye –

– and saw the sadness reflected there, the confusion and the longing. He turned his face away, eyes downcast, and just stood, shivering slightly. Whether from the cold or the weight of his own emotions, he didn't know.

"Yugi, _talk_ to me," Yami pleaded.

Yugi couldn't bear to look up again; emotions roiled around in his small body like an overheating teapot. His mind told him one thing, while his soul screamed another; and his poor heart didn't know what to think. He shut his eyes tight, trying to block out the argument, but it just wouldn't be silenced. Finally, he did the first thing that surfaced from his nightmare-carnival of thoughts. He screamed.

"Pharaoh, _we can't!"_ he almost shrieked. He turned and ran – the door slammed, shut and locked, behind him.

--

_A heavy feeling of despair was almost palpable in the dry air. There was no choice; this card was the only way to win – and winning was the only option._

_He lifted it over his head, eyes set; grim. Suddenly, there was a weight – not a strong one, nor was it quite __**there**__, but it stayed his arm all the same. He looked up, shocked._

_A pale, semi-opaque spirit clung to the limb, his own eyes – bright amethyst – similarly determined. He heard the boy's shout/Pharaoh, we __**can't**__! This isn't the way! __**We must not play this card!/**_

_The boy – his…aibou – didn't understand what __**he **__**knew**__. No duel could be lost; and this was the only way. He shook him off. /I have to. This is the only way./_

_A flash of green shone before his eyes; even before he'd played the card. The warm weight in his mind and soul was gone – replaced by an evil hatred; a bitter cold._

_The black cloud enveloped him and all was business now – the kind of business he __**excelled**__ at…_

Yami gasped and opened his tightly clenched eyes. Shock coursed through him as he fought through the aftereffects of these strange images. He leaned against the shop's wall, panting heavily. _What was that…?_

--

_My lords, I think he is beginning to remember. The small one shuns the relationship, however – I sense great confusion in him._

Twisted malice. A tiny grin with a flash of red.

_This must he __**her**__ doing. That angel…she attempts to thwart us. We need another – the third and final._

_Are you sure it is wise, lords? He – the third – is…dangerous. Unpredictable._

_And you are not?_ A multi-voiced chuckle. _We will need him._

Deep purple this time.

_Lords, you call? I serve…I obey._

--

Ryou found himself alone. His soul-room was a bare and white, small and brightly lit. It had a few normal, homely furnishings – but for one deeply shadowed corner. It was pitch-black; it always had been – Ryou didn't know why. He was frightened to find out. It seemed to have enlarged since the last time he was here.

_/Go after them, baka!/_

"_N-no…this is their personal business. It's not right to spy on them like this!"_

_An exasperated snort._

_There was a brief scuffle. Bakura ended up on top, as he always did – and Ryou was shunted back into his soul room._

And now he was the only one there. He didn't know why or how Bakura had gone, but he had put up some sort of barrier before he'd left. Ryou couldn't get back into his body, no matter how hard he pushed.

He'd tried to sit and wait, but it was no use – boredom took its toll, and he opened the door out of his room. The place between was just as always had been; a circular room, with torches interspaced around the walls, and a door at each end. The ceiling was shrouded in darkness, or else too infinitely high to be seen. He'd bee here many times before; staring - just staring – at the door to his other half's room. He'd never had the courage to try the door.

Until now, that is. _That time without him breathing down my neck must have killed a few thousand brain cells,_ he thought grimly, _this is suicide._ Nevertheless, he edged around the outside of the room, hugging the walls as though something might fall on him if he left their relative safety.

His hand reached out blindly – and he finally touched rough wood. He'd made it to Bakura's door.

Pausing to steel himself, he found the door handle and tugged it; it stuck dead for a moment, then creaked its way open. Ryou could see absolutely nothing. Bakura's room was almost pitch dark. He stood in the doorway for a moment, waiting for his eyes to adjust; until he could just make out what the room was like.

The place was completely ransacked. Papers, broken furniture, jewelry, bits of glass and fabrics littered the floor. Through the clutter, it showed signs of having once been a livable house, if somewhat archaic and bare. He could see remnants of papyrus mats; and the walls looked to be something akin to mud brick. A strong, heaving mist hung in the air, veiling the entire room – part of why it was so dark. _Bakura's magic?_ Ryou asked himself.

He walked in, cautiously picking his way around the larger chunks of – what _was_ that…? He stopped in front of a safe, probably a memento of Bakura's time in the modern world. It was rather short; he sat on it. Somehow, it was more peaceful in here. It didn't feel as lonely as his own room. He leaned down; something about the safe begged to be explored.

It turned out to be locked; hardly surprising given whose soul he was in. Plus – it was a _safe_. He started fiddling with it, but to his surprise he'd hardly touched it when it sprang unlocked. Intrigued, he started to pull the door open.

A very angry foot kicked it back closed; hitting his fingers in the process. Ryou squeaked and brought his hand to his mouth. Dreading what they'd find, his eyes traveled slowly from the foot up the leg, to a well-built (if a bit scrawny) torso, up the pale neck to a white-framed, bloody-eyed face. His eyes widened in shock, and he flung his hands up over his face. "P-please, Bakura – d-don't hurt me – I was only – "

Bakura reached forward and grabbed him by a shoulder, forcing him to his feet. Smiling sweetly, he led the smaller white-haired teen out, through the annex, then back into his own room. It was rather creepy. "Stay," he grated. Despite his pleasant demeanor, something in his eyes told Ryou _he was in for it_.

--

"Hello? Hello, sir? What are you doing in that bush?"

Bakura opened his eyes. He was flat on his back, in a bush outside the Kame Game Shop. _Right where I left me_, he confirmed with a smirk.

Then the smirk disappeared. There was a police officer leaning over him. "I'll need to see your identification, sir."

"You don't need to see my identification," Bakura scowled, extricating himself from the shrub.

The police officer looked confused for a moment, as Bakura started walking away. "Right, then…move along," he said blankly. "Move along."

--

His yami had kissed him. Twice.

Yugi had always thought of his yami as…a protector, a friend, someone in need of his help…he'd never really thought of him like this.

He wasn't quite sure how he felt about it. It was…simply amazing to be kissed like that, but…by another guy? With all the crazy things that had happened to him in the past few years, he hadn't really had time to formulate an opinion on things like that. It didn't seem to be a problem, really. Not to him, at least.

It had been amazing. It just felt _right_…but something in the background had clicked in his mind; _something_ about it was wrong. Something deep within the affection; something was off. He shivered. It seemed driven; like his yami wasn't doing it of his own accord. The emotions _did_ seem real, but how could Yugi be sure? He'd never had any experience with this type of thing before.

Ever since the Pharaoh had come back, Yugi had wished, hoped, prayed for his memory to come back – to make things like they used to be. But now he wasn't so sure if he wanted that anymore. He and his yami had never been this close – even when they _did_ share a body. It made him wonder: Would he have felt like this if Yami hadn't lost his memory? Would any of this have _happened_ if Yami hadn't lost his memory? Which led him back to the most pressing questions of them all: _Why __**has**__ Yami lost his memory?_ _Why is he here?_

He sighed, ruffling his hands through his hair, and a liberal spray of rainwater flew in all directions. He got up to dry himself off, when a curious glint of gold caught his eye. The Millennium Puzzle still sat against the wall where it had been thrown, ominously reflecting the bloodred sunset. Driven by curiosity, Yugi picked it up. It was warm. Cradling it to his chest, he made his way to the window, opened it, and thrust his head out, examining the puzzle's glow. Was the warmth simply sunlight, or had something of note happened? The former was hardly likely; it had been cloudy all day. The sunset barely managed to make its colors visible through the banks of wispy clouds, looking for all the world like an oil painting set against the horizon for approval by some celestial artist. Yugi left the window open and slowly sank back onto his bed, blankly fascinated by the radiant metal in his hands, stroking it slowly against his cheek.

He settled back and closed his eyes, listening to the soft patter of the ever-falling raindrops. A warm glow called to him from the depths of the Puzzle, and he followed, even as the clean, crisp sent of rainfall settled slowly into the room.

His soul-room was just as it had always been, if perhaps a bit less cluttered; some of the more childish toys, he noted, had disappeared. The door was closed; Yugi took this as a sign and didn't try to open it. He simply settled down on his soul-room bed and waited, as the warmth moved ever closer.

--  
(It's lime time.)

Bakura threw Ryou down on the bed, pinioning him by the shoulders. He leaned down close, grinning a quietly insane grin, breath flitting warmly against Ryou's face. Then he kissed him fiercely, deeply – leaving Ryou gasping for breath as he broke off. He nipped sharply at the corner of Ryou's mouth.

"You're nothing, Ryou Bakura."

He captured the smaller's lips again, roughly; he tore at Ryou's lip and the salty-metallic taste of blood flooded both of their mouths. Bakura's tongue, hot-wet and blood-slicked, forced its way into Ryou's mouth, and he started struggling. Bakura simply leaned farther onto him; he was directly on top of Ryou, and he was far stronger. The tongue ravaged the inside of his mouth, running itself around and prodding his own tongue aside.

Bakura broke off again. "You're a complete weakling."

He ran his tongue along Ryou's jaw line to his mouth, licking away a stream of blood. Then he stole the smaller's mouth again, forcing Ryou to focus on how very odd, how very…good…this sensation was…. Then he gasped, but all he got was air from Bakura's own mouth. Hands were undoing his shirt buttons. His eyes widened in shock, but all Bakura's showed were lust and dark amusement. He was _enjoying_ this. He loved making Ryou squirm; and this was punishment for invading Bakura's soul-room.

Cold fingers brushed against his bare skin as button after button was undone – until finally, the hands flapped his shirtfront open, Bakura's torso lifting just enough to allow his hands to trail their way back up to Ryou's collarbone. The kiss somehow intensified as Bakura massaged his way back down, stopping at Ryou's lower stomach and tracing slow lines – back and forth, back and forth…

Ryou shivered, apprehensive. Without warning, Bakura simultaneously lifted his hands and ground his pelvis hard against Ryou's. Ryou convulsed, moaning deep in his throat – suddenly, he wanted more. He wanted this more than anything else in the world –

Then, with one final press, Bakura's weight was gone. Ryou squeaked and shrank in on himself, trying to make up for Bakura's lost heat.

"You're pathetic, Ryou."

Bakura left, leaving Ryou with blood on his lip, an exposed chest, and the oddest sensation tingling its way through his body….

Bakura had never called him by his first name before.

(Lime over.)  
--

It was cold and dark; and Yami was not confident.

The shadows pressed in from every conceivable point, oppressive and menacing. The space gave off a sense of being enormous; yet it was as though he was confined to the tiniest space imaginable. He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself.

But there…a soft chink of light warmed him; and he moved closer. It widened as he moved; it was a slit, a bar, an entire rectangle – and he came out a door into a hallway. It was still cold; torches lit the walls. The real light came from the doorway just across the hall…

It moved, light as a feather under his touch. He shielded his eyes against the light for a moment, then as his vision cleared they took in what seemed to be a child's room…

But there was Yugi, sitting on the bed. He looked up, smiled lazily and said, "Come sit."

Yami wondered if this was a dream. He had no idea how he could be here, or even where _here_ was, but it was nice and warm…and Yugi was here. He went and sat, the mattress creaking slightly under his added weight.

Yugi sighed softly. "Do you know where we are?" he asked. Whether he was asking because he didn't know himself or not, Yami couldn't be certain. He knew the truth was best, though, regardless of where or what this was.

"No, Yugi. It seems familiar, though…" _Kind of like I __**ought**__ to know,_ he added to himself.

"Hm."

Yugi yawned, and leaned sideways. He shifted a bit, and leaned his head on Yami's shoulder. He was warm.

Yami started – _what - ? Why is he doing this…?_ He started to say something, but –

"Ssh." Yugi settled himself in, squirming a bit.

Yami was tense for a moment. Yugi had instigated this himself…why? Did that mean all of this mayhem was coming to something? Yugi's head leaned heavily on Yami's shoulder, soft hair tickling his jaw. _He's so warm…is this really a dream?_

Yami put a tentative hand across Yugi's back. The smaller teen snuggled closer, a soft smile playing about his lips. A light, warm blush made itself at home on his cheeks, and he made a small noise of contentment. Yami softened, smiled.

He sighed and leaned back, bringing Yugi's small form with him.

The night was cold…

…the night was long…

…night was eternal.

He smiled.

Good.

--

Ryou awoke to a dull clanking noise. He was far too cold, yet his head felt as though it was filled with cotton fluff: He couldn't put together a coherent thought to save his life. He felt as though if he stood up, the top of his head would slide right off.

He stood up anyway.

His brain somehow failed to spill out his ears, but the world revolved slowly around him, obstinately refusing to work the way it was supposed to. He smacked himself in the forehead a few times with a palm. It seemed to help.

The clanking continued. He followed it uncertainly out into the main part of the house, stumbling slightly. Bakura was there, and the events of his last period of consciousness rushed back. _Aha,_ said his brain. _Well, __**there's**__ your problem._

Bakura was sitting at the dining-room table, stabbing at a slab of raw meat with a steak knife. The _chink, chunk, chinng_ of steel on ceramic accounted for the horrible noise. His expression could be described as downright moody. His chin leaned on one palm, which, by way of forearm, connected to an elbow, which – defying all modern standards – rested on the table.

Ryou coughed slightly. Bakura glanced up. Then he promptly looked back down, eyes narrowing slightly. He continued to prod at the meat.

"…I can cook that for you," Ryou said softly. "If you want."

Bakura looked at him for a moment. His eyes were unreadable. Ryou held his breath.

The white-haired thief looked down again, but he pushed the plate ever-so-slightly toward the boy. Ryou leaned down to get the plate. His fingers edged toward it, then hurriedly picked it up, wary of fangs and claws. Before he had straightened up, Bakura whispered, "Rare."

Ryou hurried away before Bakura could change his mind and get angry. Soon, from the kitchen, there could be heard the clicks of a gas stove starting up and, not long after, the sizzle of meat being cooked.

If you looked closely, there could be seen on the face of the thief the barest hint of red.

--

Any theories? Feel free to bounce them off me. It is so very amuing when you're wrong. -insert evil laughter here-


	7. faint? not this chapter

Yes, the long-awaited next chapter of Brand New Day. It's been a LONG TIME dince I last updated; so long that...I don't really remember what kept me. About halfway through, I made the horrible mistake of recalculating my take on Bakura's character. Really, he's more mannered than most people portray him as; usually, in fanfics, he's a tough-talking, f-word spouting, unreasonable, uncouth bastard. Whereas most of the time, in the manga, he's rather well-spoken. Still unreasonable, but not to the point of stupidity. That's enough of that.

Just to clarify, Marik and his yami will be showing up in this chapter. Since I'm far to lazy to write 'Yami Marik' a million times over, Marik is the 'hikari', the 'good' side, the one who doesn't look like he's been to a drunken hairdresser. Malik is the yami, the psychotic side, the one whose hair looks like an artichoke on steroids. Got it? Good.

Also, one other thing about Malik, and yes, I am going to be anal about this. Malik is _not _a Millennium Spirit. E.G., he is not a soul sealed inside the Rod, and the Rod, in fact, has little to do with his existence, other than the fact that it is the Millennium Items' fault that the Tomb Guardians are even necessary at all. He is an alternate personality created enitrely of hate, pain, rage, etc., etc... 'Kay? And no matter what anyone else tells you, he is NOT an Ancient Egyptian assassin sealed into the Rod. Don't believe it, it's all lies. D:

The Ever-Present Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs not to me; would that it did...zounds, the fun I would have...

And now, enjoy!

--

_­So let's go, watchin' you_  
_turn your back like you always do  
__face away and pretend that I'm not,  
__but I'll be here 'cause you're all that I've got_

_I can faint_  
_the way I did before  
__don't turn your back on me,  
__I won't be ignored  
_Linkin Park, 'Faint'

Yugi wasn't quite awake, and he wasn't quite asleep.

It seemed a perfect time to think.

Sweetness, calmness, and an overwhelming warmth had characterized last night. Yami had seemed so nervous, so embarrassed; his actions had been so far removed from those he'd been exhibiting the last few days that Yugi knew something must have been at work. But what? Who could possibly care enough about he and his yami, or, indeed, be powerful enough, to control him like that? He knew it had encompassed him, too, at first – he recalled an odd fogging sensation in his mind, replacing his normal thoughts with…ones he wouldn't normally have.

He'd heard a saying, once: _Live to the fullest; laugh out loud; love without regret._ He didn't, _couldn't_ regret it: he loved him. Yami was always the one who saved him, protected him, and comforted him when it seemed there was no hope…. He was confident and powerful, and everything Yugi was not, even though they looked so very alike. They had shared thoughts, ideals, even a body for over a year. They had traversed each others' souls countless times, and solved their own most vexing mysteries…how was it even remotely possible that they would not be attracted to each other, even if only in a purely platonic sense?

But their love had graduated to more than that; if all that had happened was any clue…

...and then Yugi woke with a start and a hammering heart, and almost immediately wished he hadn't. He grunted, turned over, and pulled the blankets up over his head. Something metallic jangled and fell off the bed with a thump, and his alarm clock exploded into its cacophonous morning ritual.

The boy moaned and staggered out of bed, tripping over the Millennium Puzzle as his feet hit the floor. His fingers blundered around on his desk until they hit the alarm clock's off switch, as, for the first time in his life, he wished he had the power to send things to the Shadow Realm. His legs collapsed under him and he fell to the floor, rubbing his forehead. He felt like _crap_.

His head ached abominably, as did all of his joints. He felt horribly warm, but he shivered convulsively – _Great_, he thought, _fever._ He wondered blankly what could have caused this, then groaned again.

_The window!_ He hadn't closed it last night, it had been cold and raining, _and_ his hair had been soaked. It sounded like a complete recipe for disaster, not to mention absolute _stupidity_. No matter how comfortable his soul had been, tucked away in the Puzzle, his entirely mortal body had been completely exposed to the elements.

_The guys…gotta tell the guys. Can't risk having them come over here and catch this, so…I better call somebody._ Yugi stood up, and the world swam horribly about his head. He set a hand to his forehead and _almost_ lost his balance, but somehow managed to steady himself and make it down the stairs. He sat at the bar-table, on one of the tall stools, and reached up for the phone. The room swirled around him crazily, drunkenly, and then…_gotta tell the guys…_he fell into darkness.

A gentle hand and a swirl of light, and the sleeping teen was covered in a blanket. It was all she could do, for now.

The boy didn't even stir when, some time later, the doorbell rang, echoing through the empty house.

--

_Gone to school._

_Stay in the house, hikari._

The note was scratched clumsily on a bit of paper in navy-blue pen, the lettering sharp and angular. Ryou didn't have to think hard to imagine an '_or else'_ tacked onto the end. He groaned. Who _knew_ what kind of trouble the thief could get him into at school…

--

Bakura growled, eliciting a few sideways glances from passing students. These halls were too crowded, and people kept jostling him. Those fools…didn't they _know_ who he was? But no, Bakura had to keep up the façade of polite, quiet Ryou…damn that hikari! Damn him and his shy nature… that sweet disposition of his… Bakura shook himself mentally. He had to focus.

He wore Ryou's clothing; despite their slight differences in height, they fit well. He had blurred his features slightly with shadow magic, softening them to more resemble Ryou's feminine build. Pity he couldn't do anything about the sharpness of his eyes, besides dulling the red into a murky brown. With some effort, he could also keep his carefully brushed-back hair from looking too suspicious, though his "bat-wings" tended to pop up alarmingly when he lost his temper. As was obvious for the now-gibbering jock who'd thrown a caustic remark at him that morning.

The Millennium Ring clanked dully against his chest from beneath his shirt, he just didn't feel right without it on. It was easier to keep up the illusions with the Item on, as well.

"…kura? Ryou?"

One of his hikari's friends was trying to talk to him. He coughed slightly before starting to speak, feigning politeness. "Hm? Oh, Anzu, hello."

"Ryou? Are you all right?" The foolish girl looked genuinely worried.

The blonde idiot spoke up next. "Yeah, only you haven't been at school the past few days…we were all getting kind of worried."

"Oh, it was nothing," Bakura laughed, letting himself slip into his hikari's familiar speech patterns, "I caught a bad cold, but I'm all right now."

_Ah, there he is…the pharaoh…_ Bakura was unable to control the flash of malice that flitted across his features as the short but regally postured teen appeared from behind the blonde one. From the slight tilt of his eyes, he seemed worried, though hell if Bakura knew why.

"We'd better head to class," Anzu said, "though I'm still worried – Yugi didn't show up this morning, Ryou, and he didn't answer the door when we went to check…"

_That would do it. _Bakura scowled.

He sat tensely throughout the day, fingernails tapping out a sharp tattoo of annoyance on the desktop and darkened eyes flitting around fiercely. _That damn brat…the one day I have to suffer through all of this myself…_

The pharaoh, he noticed, seemed ill at ease as well. And with good reason, too, Bakura thought. He didn't know what he would do if his hikari turned up missing in action.

--

Malik had never been one for following the rules.

Rules meant order, and Malik _hated_ order.

As such, when sent to the human world with a shiny new body of his own, he promptly disobeyed his orders and went straight to Egypt.

Because he knew…that was where _he_ lived.

--

The country's perpetual sun was silenced for now, night swallowing the worst of its scorching heat. Marik leaned against a windowsill in his extremely modern home. He had decided long ago that he had had quite enough of archaic, underground living facilities, and had built himself a very large and comfortable house. He still lived in Egypt, however, since all other areas of the world had been deemed either too cold or too wet (or too full of nasty terrorists) for comfortable inhabitance.

He breathed deeply of the soft, sultry night air and tried to shake off the feeling that something horribly predictable was about to happen.

He failed miserably, however, as an all-too-familiar silhouette appeared in the doorway.

"Hikariiii!" it trilled, launching itself joyously across the room. Marik found himself suddenly engulfed in fluffy, soft, pale-blonde hair as a pair of long, warm arms proceeded to try and squeeze the life out of him. That, fortunately, also failed.

Needless to say, Marik was then both speechless and suitably creeped out.

Marik found his voice surprisingly quickly but unfortunately, all he could manage were small sounds vaguely reminiscent of frogs trapped under hot stones. Finally: "Get. OFF."

The fluffy blob backed away and finally resolved itself into an insanely grinning and rather tanned individual who seemed immensely pleased with himself. He also had a rather large quantity of pointy-looking blonde hair on his head, which seemed to indicate that the man was rather closely related to an artichoke.

"What are _YOU_ doing here?!" he screeched.

"Listen," the spirit said, completely unphased and still grinning, "I've got a proposition."

Marik, not to be out-cooled, composed himself with difficulty and scoffed, "Why should I listen to you? How do I know you're not just a figment of my imagination? I haven't been getting much sleep, lately…"

"Don't you know _why_ you haven't? It's hardly surprising, with your bloodline and everything you've done, we're very closely attuned to the world's fields. Listen."

Marik quirked an eyebrow. "You have my attention. Talk."

"I've been sent here to _kill_," at this a rather unpleasant flash of pleasure struck the blonde, spiky one's face, "an angel. She's getting in the way. Wanna come? It would be _so_ much more fun with you there, hikari…"

"Don't start that crap. You know I'm not much better than you," Marik shot back, though an odd half-smile crept onto his face at the title. "I," he continued, flopping onto his bed, "am not convinced."

Malik frowned, coming around to the front of the bed, face-to-face with his creator. "Are you really gonna be that difficult? Don't make me spill everything…"

"Oh, there's more? Do tell."

Malik sighed, but brightened frighteningly quickly. The slightly…all right, _very_ insane-looking grin was back in full force as he warmed himself up for a long narration.

"The world of the gods is, at the moment, very screwed up. If I were to use _their_ terminology, 'the balance has been upset.' Now, why is this – ?"

"Wait a minute, _YOU_ went to _heaven?!"_

"…it's not quite that simple, and besides, you know very well that _I_ was sent to the Shadow Realm by that Ra-damned Pharaoh. Come to think of it, you helped, too…but somehow, I just can't quite hold a grudge against you, hikari." He gave Marik a beatific smile. "Now, are you going to listen, or not?"

Marik nodded, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Very good. This 'imbalance' was caused by none other than our _favorite_ two spiky-haired pricks. I assume you know that the two were split apart by 'destiny'? Yugi beat the Pharaoh in the last duel and sent him away? Well, the gods realized too late that they were very, _very_ wrong. With those two apart, the realm of the gods has spun wildly out of control. The Pharaoh and Yugi are, apparently, the 'embodiments of light and darkness' – don't ask me what _that_ means – and they need to be back together for the gods' world to right itself…so that we can go back to _them_ screwing up _our_ lives, and not the other way around." He laughed a bit at the irony. "They sent the Pharaoh's spirit back," he went on, getting into the swing of his story, "with its own body – so as not to shock poor Yugi out of his wits – but the imbalance threw off their calculations. The Pharaoh lost his memory when they sent him back down. He has no idea who anyone is, and he simply has a normal, _human_ understanding of the world. No magic, no Millennium Items, no nothing. I would envy him, but, unfortunately, without all of this 'Millennium Item crap' I would not even exist…but I digress.

"One angel has gotten it into her head to stop them from getting back together. We think she's a Fallen – a turncoat angel – trying to make sure the world of the gods _stays_ broken, which would, in turn, tear apart the mortal realm. And _that_," he said, turning an eye to Marik, "would be bad. Since without a mortal realm, there would be no mortals. Like you." He winked.

Marik recoiled slightly, but recovered when Malik started chuckling. _That bastard…_ He snorted and motioned for the spirit to continue.

"Now, I'm not really one to fight for 'good' or 'justice' or 'order', or any of that BS, but since the gods have been kind enough to grant my requests – " he gestured at his own body – "I am more than happy to assist them by doing what I do best.

"Ah, yes. Bakura has also been sent back down, for…reconnaissance purposes, I believe."

"What?"

Malik made a derisive sound. "He's making sure everything goes smoothly, baka."

"…oh. Um…are you sure he's the best person for that?"

Malik shrugged unconcernedly. "No. But, then, I don't have to be. I suppose he does have the right skills for sneaking about here on earth, though, ne?"

"I suppose…"

"So, I take it you believe me?"

Marik thought for a moment. "Of course. That story was so complex, there's no way you could have thought of it yourself, yami." He smiled brightly.

Malik sighed, glaring. "…thanks, hikari. So, are you in?"

"They're still in Japan, right?" Marik wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Ugh…it's cold there…and wet…"

"Don't tell me you've gone soft, Marik? What happened to my tough-as-shadows, vengeance-obsessed hikari?"

"I never said _no._" Marik grinned up at his yami, a mischievous glint in his lavender eyes. "Count me in."

--

"What!? He's all _alone_ there?"

"Yeah. His grandpa's off on some expedition or other, so it's just Yugi at the Game Shop…"

"And you just _let_ him stay there by himself? What if he got sick? Or hurt! Maybe that's why he's not at school today! We gotta go make sure he's all right – "

"B-but, Pha – Yami…"

"I'll call you guys later – !"

"…and then he just…leaves…"

"He's such a spaz."

"Only when it comes to Yugi."

--

Ryou was in a fine state of mind. In other words, a bad one.

He continually checked the doors and windows, while curled up on the couch in the living room; the television was on, but he wasn't really watching it. He jumped at small noises.

Then the door banged open, and he fell off the couch.

"B-Bakura…!" he squeaked from his position on the floor.

"Damn Pharaoh. Damn Pharaoh's brat. Damn _school_. Try to make me _learn things_, will they? H-hah ha hah…they got what was coming to them…" Bakura stopped in his tirade and seemed to notice Ryou's odd placement. "Why are you on the floor, hikari?" he scowled.

"Uh…n-no reason." Ryou blushed crimson and picked himself up.

"Fine," the thief said, immediately turning his attention back to his own problems. "Just fine. While you were _here_, _sleeping_, I was at _your _school – "

"Yes, but – "

" – and that Pharaoh's damn brat wasn't even _there _– "

"How is that my fault!?"

Bakura stared. Ryou stood defiantly, a flicker of fear and a spark of fight dancing together in his eyes.

"I _think,_" Bakura said, his voice like torn silk, "that you would do best to remember just _who_ you are speaking to."

Long-suppressed anger and frustration finally burst its bounds.

--

"What's wrong with me?"

The pale eyebrows lift, "What – "

"There must be _something_! Why else would you treat me like this?! Like I don't matter? Like I'm just something to _use_?"

Two hands clench desperately at the air, unwanted angry tears springing to clouded, brown eyes.

"What am I, to you? A servant? A nuisance? A waste of time? _What_?"

A short pause.

"You are weakness." _My weakness. Mine._

Arms, hands, dropping, spent, and the boy's shoulders slump.

"Is – …is that…what you think…?"

One fist clenches, and a wall goes up behind ravishing crimson eyes.

"I have _never_ thought anything different."

Ryou drops his gaze in a sudden movement, tears flashing as they flutter from his cheeks like startled birds. His shoulders tense again, and he runs from the room with the silent gasp of an extinguished flame.

Bakura grit his teeth and looked away from the fleeing boy's footsteps.

That last was a blatant lie.

The boy used to mean nothing.

--

I hope it all makes sense, now...but be warned, Malik-chan might not have the whole story. I hope the plot isn't too stupid for you all...and I'm not trying to blaspheme anything, either, it's just that the whole concept has so many possibilities... Oh, and don't worry about Yugi much, he's only caught a chill. He's not gonna die, or anything.

More explainingment of the RyouxBakura conflict next chapter. And some fluff, with any luck...


End file.
